The area is a grouping of three tired strip retail centers at the intersection of 58th Avenue and Ralston Road, and they are in serious need of revitalization.   There are several empty storefronts and buildings, as well as a mix of non-retail tenants.

In order to tap into the community mood, we formed an advisory committee which consisted of residents, business owners, and key city administrators.  We had monthly meetings to discuss the issues with the current development area and possible solutions.  The advisory committee led the design process and provided guidance to the design team.

Our goal was to re-allocate densities and incorporate other uses, such as multi-family residential, to bring more vibrance and life to the neighborhood.  One retail center will receive a facelift, another will be completely demolished and replaced with better performing retail.  The third strip center will be completely demolished and replaced with more urban and dense mix of uses.

Ralston Fields Master Plan Concept

We presented our master plan to the public Tuesday and it was well received.  Approximately 100 people came through to aske questions and provide feedback.  Overall, we feel we’ve presented something the community will love.

Our next step is to prepare the Overall Development Plan for further public review and approval.  As the economy recovers, the Ralston Fields area will be ready for redevelopment with a well thought out plan for the future.

Thanks to the advisory committee and to AURA for being a part of this great project and providing us an opportunity to assist you!

We are meeting with a selected group of neighbors, business owners, and city employees. We’ve also brought in the local recreation district and community college. The advisory committee provides a wonderful cross section of the community with practical goals for the community. They have a vested interest in the future and health of the city they love. The committee also has some terrific ideas for planning and uses.

Our goals, as the planner, are to create an economically viable neighborhood solution that will add value to the city. Too often, suburban communities want to try to force an urban design into their communities, thinking that its an automatic home run. Its not that simple. How do you accomplish creating a new neighborhood that will remain alive and viable? By creating a sense of place.

Basically, memorable destinations generate an emotional reaction in the visitor. Think about your favorite places to visit – why do you love them? Uses, architecture, vehicle and pedestrian circulation, organization, and imagery all contribute to creating a great place. If you create an area that generates a positive emotional connection with visitors, they will return again and again. They will also tell their friends…

We are in the early stages of the project and have essentially completed the information gathering, or programming, phase. At the last meeting, we presented six conceptual schemes which loosely addressed the traffic concerns and the uses within the planning area. The next meeting, we will present two schemes which begin to pin down building areas, public spaces and traffic circulation.

The process of creating a new place or neighborhood is a long and complicated process. There are so many factors to balance and weigh. One thing affects another, sometimes in detriment. That’s where the challenge lies – how best to create our place with the pieces and parts we have?

I cannot post images at this point since we’re not officially public with our design intentions. That will come in the next couple of months. I will then post some of the early planning images so you can see how the process has evolved.